The present invention relates in general to an electronic dictionary and language interpreter for providing efficient and rapid retrieval of any desired word stored therein, and more particularly, to a new and effective type of display device for displaying a plurality of words developed from such an electronic dictionary and language interpreter.
Recently, a new type of electronic device called an electronic dictionary and language interpreter has been available on the market. The electronic dictionary and language interpreter differ from any conventional types electronic devices in that the former is of a unique structure which provides for efficient and rapid retrieval of word information stored in a memory. An example of an electronic dictionary and language interpreter was disclosed in Levy U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,236, June 12, 1979, "ELECTRONIC DICTIONARY AND LANGUAGE INTERPRETER".
Although not directed to such an electronic language interpreter device but directed to a conventional electronic apparatus such as an electronic calculator, there have been presented various types of systems for displaying data derived from the electronic apparatus, the length of which is more than the capacity of a display panel in the electronic apparatus. One of them has been a system for advance splitting of the data to be displayed into two or more groups. There have been inherent problems, however, in that the connection between the groups has been indefinite and vague, leading to operator error in recognizing the overall or combined contents being displayed.
Another has been a system for sequentially shifting and running the contents in the display panel one after another or digit by digit. An example of such a system is disclosed in a copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 058,666 filed on July 18, 1979 by S. Masuzawa et al., assigned to the present assignee, entitled "A DISPLAY DEVICE FOR ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS OR THE LIKE". The disclosure of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 058,666 is incorporated herein by reference.
There have been inherent problems, however, that images being displayed flicker change and flow, with the result that the images displayed have been difficult to read.
It is desirable that the display device make the contents being displayed easily recognized and readable and that the display device form a clear connection between portions of the contents being displayed in a manner suitable for an electronic translator device.
Even in the case where the length of the data to be displayed is not more than the capacity of the display panel, it may be preferable that the data being displayed be separated with a classification symbol if such a classification is available and useful for assisting the recognition of the data displayed.